Here are some thoughts on that:
- It's more important students learn how to figure out software than learn a given package.
- The software will change and evolve by the time the students get in the workplace anyway.
- I want my students to be comfortable using these tools for the long term. I don't want them feeling that they have to use the expensive commercial program if there is a valid open source alternative available such as Gimp vs. Photoshop.
- The only time I could justify the cost of the commercial software is at the high school level.
Hello Greg,
ReplyDeleteI noticed that one of your blog posts was cited in the Google Drive product forum (by a Google employee!) She suggested an accessibility hack that you thought of, to the person who needed help, and posted your blog URL for details..
Anyway, I've been browsing your blog posts. I agree with most everything. That is unusual for me, as I am fussy :o) No, it is because most ed tech providers guild the lily, as my grandmother would say, failing to teach important basic skills that can be learned with (OR without!) software applications. You are different. You recognize this, based on your blog posts. That made me feel happy.
About FOSS: Re Gimp versus Photoshop, I agree with you. Photoshop costs a small fortune! I am an adult, but I still cannot afford it. I would love to own it, or rather buy a year's worth of access to the license (Adobe is putting it in "the cloud" now) one day. I doubt that it needs to be mandatory in high school, not for every student.
As for OpenOffice, it is easier to work with than Google Docs, or was, the last time I checked. Also, it seems more stable to me. Google Docs is not open source, even though it is free. Microsoft Office, specifically Word and Excel, can be accessed via Microsoft's free viewer if one is online. Since so many workplaces use MS Office, it makes sense for students to be familiar with the look and feel of it. That can be done legally without buying the program from MS though!